It can be hard to make an event work for everyone’s schedule.

But when it comes to a family tradition and a birthday, you make it work.

This woman took to Reddit to share her story.

So my kid was born on 31st of December (7 years ago) and each year we celebrate by having a family lunch at our house, with my husband’s family since mine is in a different country.

My sister in law got married 3 months ago and had a celebration lunch 2 weeks after. There we met her new in-laws, but we never connected or exchanged more than ‘hello, how are you, good bye’.

So they’re practically strangers. They didn’t interact at all with my kid.

This woman didn’t want to crowd her kid’s birthday party with people they have only met once.

Now comes my kid’s birthday and my sister in law says that her in-laws will be in town so they would come to the birthday lunch as well.

I didn’t feel like having strangers in the house for that special day, my kid didn’t want them around so I told my sister in law that she and her husband are welcome to come but her in-laws can find something else to do for 3 hours.

So here’s what my sister in law decided to do.

She came and brought over her son, left him for the day to spend time and play with my kid. Then she said to her mom and her brother (not my husband)to join her, her husband and her in-laws for a morning coffee.

The morning coffee turned into lunch, which turned into no one showing up for my kid.

Around 5 pm I tell my husband to call her and tell her to pick up her kid, I was done babysitting him.

Despite the birthday kid not wanting to cut the cake, the sister in law insisted.

She comes (alone) and sees we didn’t cut the cake so she says come on, let’s sing and cut it.

My kid didn’t want to, she wanted to leave it for later to do it just with her dad and me. The sister in law kept at it, her son said he wants to try the cake so reluctantly we sang ‘happy birthday’ and we cut it.

They had a slice and left (I also gave them a piece of cake to take with them for the in-laws).

My husband and I decided to do at least something special for the day (I won’t say how sad my girl was) so we went bowling (first time for my kid).

While in the car, my brother in law sends me a message saying that after the outing he had he was sleepy and went to bed and now he is up and wants to come over to give the gift to my kid.

I tell him we’re not home.

While we’re bowling, my mother in law calls my husband (it was around 7pm by now) and says she wants to pass by to give my husband a sweet she had prepared.

I blow up and tell my husband no one is welcomed anymore, we’ll go home and rest so we can be up for the New Year’s fireworks.

Now the mom is being labeled the villain for not wanting her sister in law’s in laws at her kid’s family birthday celebration.

So, long story short, because I didn’t invite the in-laws of my sister in law to my kid’s birthday party, no one showed up.

Cherry on the cake is that I’ve been told that I’m the a***** for making my sister in law choose between my kid and her in-laws. Or for not celebrating the birthday another day.

So, who’s the a**** here?

Also, for the past 4 days my sister in law keeps on asking to meet (which she never did before), which I gently refuse cause I’m not ready to see her yet.

Was it something so small that I should just forget about it?

Readers of this story were in defense of the writer and her child.

One person pointed out that all the extended adults were at fault for this, not just the sister in law.

This reader shared a similar sentiment.

Another person held blame for everyone, including the writer.

Hopefully the kid spent her birthday cake wish on getting her extended family to next year’s party.

Woof!

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.